Machine for refining used gasolene or naphtha.



G. E. OLSEN.

MACHINE FOR REFINING USED GASOLENE 0R NAPHTHA.

APPLICATION FILED APR.14, 1913.

Patented Aug. 11, 1914.

wi t/meow: W @2 GEORGE EMIL OLSEN, OF LACONIA, NEW HAMPSHIRE.

MACHINE FOR REFINING USED GASOLENE 0R NAPI-ITHA. v

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. Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed April 14, 1913.

Serial No. 760,977.

To all whom it may concern:

' Be it known that I, GEoRoE. EMIL OLSEN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Laconia, in the county of Belknap and State of New Hampshire, have invented a new and useful Machine for Refining Used Gasolene or Naphtha.

My invention relates to a machine for reclaiming and purifying dirty gasolene and naphtha by means of a machine which thoroughly .mixes the gasolene or naphtha with cold water, and by means of tanks from which the dirt and sediment may be drawn by suitable traps or valves, the object of the invention being to clean, clarify, and purify the gasolene or naphtha without heat or steam, so that it may be re-used in'the process of dry cleaning.

In the process of dry cleaning the gasolene or naphtha becomes so saturated with dirt filth and fatty matter from the fabrics that it is unfit for use, or must be distilled at-a very great loss by evaporation. The dry cleaner is constantly confronted with the necessity of cleaning and clarifying this used gasolene or naphtha for reuse.

With this machine the gasolene or naphtha is first thoroughly washed with clean water, then skimmed by a Washer trap, then passed through clear water in the clarifier, then again skimmed by a clarifier trap, then passed through clean fresh running water in the purifier. Used gasolene or naphtha thus refined is conditioned and ready for use as all impurities absorbed during the process of dry cleaning are extracted and washed out and all disagreeable odors removed.

In this process of refining with water alone it does not remove all the soap which the dry cleaner has previously added, but all impurities are extracted and washed out. If soap is not wanted, it could be removed by adding some chemical or chemicals tothe cleaning water in washer.

I prefer to have the used gasolene or naphtha pumped direct from the dry cleaner washer to the refining machine, then returned cleaned to storage tanks thereby forever eliminating the unsanitary storage of dirty and filthy gasolene or naphtha.

One gallon may be controlled and cleaned in this machine as easily .as fifty or more, without any waste of gasolene or naphtha; this is not true of any distilling or settling process.

With this machine there is perfect control at all times of all gasolene or naphtha, water and sediment. I attain these objects by the mechanism illustrated 1n the accompanying drawing in which- Figure 1 illustrates a series of tanks op- Patented Aug. M, 1914i.-

eratively connected together and representing an embodiment of my invention. Fig. 2 illustrates a plan view of the series of tanks shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a sectional elevation taken on line my of -Fig. 1.

In the drawings, Figs. 1, 2 and 3, 1O illustrates the first of the series of tanks through which the oil is first passed and is con structed, preferably of metal, within which are arranged paddles a and b which are preferably identical in construction, but are mounted upon se )arate shafts c and 01 re spectively, one 0 said paddles being arranged upon its respective shaft at one-quarter of a rotation in advance of the other whereby each of said paddles may intersect the path of the other of said paddles during the rotation thereof and furthermOre permit saidpaddles to be rotated in opposite directions without interfering one with the other. The shafts c and d are journaled to rotate in bearings S arranged atthe bottom of the casing constituting the tank 10, while the upper ends of said shafts project through a cover plate T detachably mounted on said casing and engage bearings Y sup- 27 is geared to the opposite end of the shaft h,- and meshes with a miter gear j secured to the end of a shaft 7.: at whose opposite end is .secured a pinion Z in turn meshing with a large driving gear m secured to the driving shaft n and rotated preferably by a pulley 0. The bearings Y and the bearings for the shafts h, In and n are all supported upon the cover T by a frame or bracket p which is secured to said cover and removable therewith. Surrounding the shafts 0 and cl above the cover T are tubes 9 and 1 respectively which extend from said cover to a substantial distance thereabove and being of a larger diameter than said shafts provide a passage from said cover to the top of said tubes and prevent the overflow of the liquid 'on said tank. T0 the cover T is also secured a dome 12 which communicates with the interior of said the top of said dome to permit the air to cscape from said tank during the filling thereof. A water supply pipe 13 is connected with said tank 10 at the bottom through which clean water may be admitted to said tank, a valve 1 being provided to regulate the flow of water thereto. Water is permitted to flow into the tank 10 until it reaches the level indicated by letter A Fig. 1, said level being determined by a glass gage 14 connected with said tank. After said water has been admitted to the level stated, the valve 1 is closed and the used oil is poured into said tank through the funnel B, while a glass gage F connects said tank and said dome and indicates the level of said oil in said tank as said oil is lighter than the water and remains upon the surface thereof, preferably occupying the space between the letters A and C, Fig. 1, the dividing line between said oil and said water being indicated by the gage 14.

An outlet pipe E is connected with the dome 12 adjacent the top thereof and connects said dome with a tank 15 illustrated in Fig. 1, said outlet pipe extending into said tank wherein it is connected by a depending discharge pipe P which terminates adjacent the bottom of said tank 15, this being the second of said series of tanks. The tank 15 is also provided with a water supply pipe 16 similar to the pipe 13 for the tank 10, said pipe 16 also terminating adjacent the bottom of said tank 15 and adapted to supply water to the tank, the amount of water admitted through sai pipe being regulated by a valve 3 arranged therein. The tank 15 is also provided with glass gages 11 by means of which the levels of the water. and the oil therein maybe determined, whilev a dome 17 surmounts the tank 15, being secured to a cover R on said tank and substantially smaller in diameter than said tank. An outlet pipe K extends from a point adjacent the upper end of the dome 17 to the bottom of a tank 18, which is the third andpreferably the last of said series of tanks, see Fig. 1, said pipe terminating in a sprayer O which is directed upwardly in said tank 18 and is adapted to spray oil, which may be conducted from the dome 17 into said tank 18.

A water supply pipe 19 is connected with the tank 18 adjacent the u per end thereof through which a predeter ined amount of water may berun into said tank and discharged from the bottom thereof through a pipe I which extends upwardly upon the exterior of said tank and constitutes an t overflow whereby said water may be run continuously through said tank and retained at the desired level, preferably as indicated at H, the amount of water passing through said tank being controlled by a valve 5 in the pipe 19. Vent pipes V and V are provided at the tops of the tanks 15 and 18 respectively.

The preferred procedure in reclaiming oil is to admit fresh water to the tank 10 through the supply pipe 13 until it reaches the level indicated at A Fig. 1, whereupon the valve 1 is closed cutting off the supply. The oil to be cleansed is then poured into said .tank through the funnel B and the paddles rotated by means of the gears e, f, g, 2', j, Z, and m and the pulley 0 for the desired length of time whereby the oil and water are thoroughly mixed or brought in contact one with the other and'more or less of the filth contained in said oil is washed out by said water. The paddles are then stopped and after said'oil and water has stood for a short space of time, or suflicient to permit the oil to rise to the top and the F, which extends from the tank 10 to the upper end of the dome 12 and indicating that the oil has been substantially withdrawn from said dome through theoutlet pipe E, the valve 2 is closed preventing a further flow of the liquid from the tank 10 to the tank 15, while the valve 1 is also closed to prevent the liquid in said tank 10 from overflowing the ends of the tubes 9* and 1', hereinbefore referred to, which are extended upwardly from the top T to a point slightly above the outlet pipe E, and prevent leaking of the liquid around the shafts c and d. At this time the dirt and filth which has been washed from the oil and carried upwardly upon the surface of the water will have been concentrated within the dome 12 and for the purpose of removing said filth from said water a trap G is provided in connection with the outlet pipe E and adjacent to said dome 12 and constitutes a discharge pipe, a portion of whose walls are transparent to permit an'inspection of the liquid which passes therethrough or settles therein. A valve 20 is arranged in said discharge pipe and is normally closed, that is, during the passage of the oil from the dome 12 through the valve 2, but immediately following the closing of the valve 2, the valve 20 is opened and the discharged therefrom, which may be determined by looking through the pipe G after which the water supply is cut off and the valve 20 closed. At this time the tank 10 will be entirely filled with water and before a new supply of the oil to be purified can be emptied into said tank a portion of said water must be withdrawn or the 'entire amount may be withdrawn, if desired, and for this purpose a valve 4 is provided at the bottom of said tank.

By the first step in the purifying operation which has just been described only a portion of the impurities have been removed.

from the oil. The next step however is accomplished in the tank 15 as the oil which is discharged from the dome 12, outlet pipe E and discharge pipe P is deposited therein. The tank 15 at this time is partially filled with water, as stated, that is, to the level indicated at D and as said oil is discharged from the pipe P it passes upwardly through said water and rests upon the surface thereof during which said oil is brought in closer contact with the particles-of water through which it passes and more of the filth and dirt contained therein will be removed. After all of the oil has been transferred from the tank 10 to the tank 15, as described, the valve '7 and outlet pipe K are opened, while the valve 21 beneath a trapM, which is connected to said outlet pipe K adjacent the dome 17, is closed. The valve 3 in the water supply pipe 16 is then opened and the oil resting upon the surface of the water in the tank 15 will be forced upwardly thereby and concentrated in the dome 17 and when it reaches the opening in said dome, communicating with the outlet pipe K, it continues to flow through said pipe and through the pipe N to the sprayer nozzle 0 at the bottom of the tank 18. In said latter tank a continual flow of water is maintained through the supply pipe 19 and the overflow pipe I, thus insuring a thorough cleaning and purifying of said oil as it is forced from the nozzle 0 through said water in minute particles, and consequently bring- .ing the particles of said oil in closer contact with the clean water than would be sible in either of the other tanks.

As the water rises in the tank 15 and the oil thereabove is forced or concentrated in the dome 17,the oil which remains in the pipe P will be ejected therefrom through the outlet R at the upper end of said pipe P and carried with the rest of said. oil into said posdome and when the oil has finally disap-' peared'from view, or nearly so, through the gage L and into the chamber 18 the valve 3 is closed shutting off the supply of water to said tank 15 and the valve 7 is operated to close communication between the tank 18 "Band the dome 17. The valve 21 is next opened and together with this the valve 3 is again opened and the flow of the water into said tank is permitted until the filth and dirt, which has been removed from the oil previously discharged from said tank, has been allowed to pass off through the trap M and valve 21. After'all of said dirt has been withdrawn, as may be determined by looking through the transparent walls of the trap M, the valves 3 and 21 are again closed and the valve 8 at the bottom of said tank 15 opened whereupon. the water in said tank may be lowered or removed, as desired, in readiness for the reception of a new supply of oil. The removal of the refined oil from the tank 18 will. be continuous as long as any oil is being admitted to said tank from the dome 17, a transparent section J being also provided through which the oil v 4 smaller in diameter than said tank adapted to concentrate the oil in said tank as said oil is being forced upwardly by said water, an outlet pipe connected with said dome adjacent the top thereof, and a discharge pipe leading from said outlet pipe.

2. An apparatus of the class described having, in combination, a tank adapted to contain water and oil, a pipe connected with said tank at the bottom thereof adapted to direct water into said tank and force the oil therein upwardly, means to determine the respective levels of said water and oil, a dome connected with said tank at the top thereof and substantially smaller in diameter than said tank adapted to concentrate the oil in said tank as said oil is being forced upwardly by said water, an outlet pipe connected with .said dome adjacent the top thereof, a discharge pipe leading from said outlet pipe, a portion of the casing of said discharge pipe being transparent whereby the nature of the liquid passing therethrough may be determined, and valves for said outlet and said exhaust pipes respectively.

3. An apparatus of the class described having, in combination, a tank adapted to contain water and oil, means adapted to mix the oil with said water, means to conduct Water into said tank at the bottom thereof to force the oil in said tank upwardly, means to determine the respective levels of said water and oil, a dome connected with said tank at the top thereof substantially smaller in diameterthan said tank adapted to concentrate the oil in said tank as said oil is being forced upwardly by said water, an outlet pipe connected with said dome adjacent the top thereof, and a discharge pipe leading from said outlet pipe, a portion of the casing of said discharge pipe being transparent whereby the nature of the liquid passing therethrough may be determined.

4. An apparatus of the class described having, in combination, a. tank adapted to contain water and oil, an oil supply pipe entering said tank and terminating adjacent the bottom thereof, a valve located in saidpipe, a water supply pipe for said tank adapted to admit water at the bottom of said tank to force said oil toward the top thereof, a valve for said water supply pipe, means to indicate the respective levels the water and oilin said tank, a dome attached to said tank adjacent the top and substantially smaller in diameter than said tank adapted to concentrate said oil as the same is being forced upwardly by said waadapted to contain oil and water, meansadapted to indicate the respective levels of said oil and water in said tanks, mechanical means adapted to mix the oil with the-water in the first of said series of tanks, a con centrating dome connected to said tanks at the top thereof, an oil supply pipe for said first tank, a Water supply pipe connected with said firsttank at the bottom thereof adapted to force the oil in said tank into said concentrating dome, an outlet pipe extending from points adjacent the top of each of said domes to a point within and adjacent the bottom of the next successive tank, a water supply pipe connected to each of the succeeding tanks adjacent the bottom thereof adapted to force the oil in said tanks toward the tops thereof, and discharge pipes connected with each of said outlet pipes adjacent said dome, said discharge pipes having transparent casings adapted to permit f inspection of the liquids passing therethrough.

GEORGE EMIL OLSEN.

Witnesses:

ERNARD OLSEN, EMMA GAJAFsKI'. 

